Did everyone else already know that Bradley Cooper was a producer onJoker ?
Last month,Emma Stoneachieved a significant feat with her Oscar win forPoor Things.She’s now a two-time Academy Award winner, first taking home Best Actress in 2017 forLa La Land. But this is far from the only major success she’s had lately.
Behind the scenes, Emma has built an impressive career as a film producer. She also garnered a Best Picture nomination this year as a producer forPoor Things. Emma even runs a production company, Fruit Tree, alongside her husband, Dave McCary. And though the company didn’t producePoor Things, they’ve hit the ground running with some notable film releases sincelaunchingin 2020.
Their recent films includeWhen You Finish Saving the WorldandProblemista, while they’ve gotI Saw the TV GlowandA Real Paincoming later this year.
Emma is far from the first celeb to make a name for themselves producing movies. So here are 13 stars, including a former president, who’ve also proved themselves to be savvy film producers:
1.Margot Robbie:Saltburn(2023)
The star is an Oscar-nominated producer through her production company, LuckyChap, which she founded alongside Josey McNamara and her husband, Tom Ackerley. In addition to working on some of Margot’s films, likeI, Tonya,Terminal, andBarbie, the company was also behind the TV seriesDollfaceand the miniseriesMaid. They also produced director Emerald Fennell’s filmsPromising Young WomanandSaltburn.
2.Will Ferrell:May December(2023)
3.Barack Obama:Leave the World Behind(2023)
Through their production company Higher Ground, Barack and Michelle Obama worked on the film about a dystopian future amid a blackout. The movie is based on Rumaan Alam’s 2020 novel of the same name. “He had a lot [of] notes about the characters and the empathy we would have for them,” the film’s director and writer, Sam Esmail, toldVanity Fairlast year of the former president’s involvement. “I have to say he is a big movie lover, and he wasn’t just giving notes about things that were from his background. He was giving notes as a fan of the book, and he wanted to see a really good film.”
4.Maria Bello:The Woman King(2022)
“The Woman Kingwas definitely born of my love of the continent in general,” Maria told theHollywood Reporterin 2022, referring to Africa. “It’s based on women’s history, a story I found many years ago about this army of women in the 17th century. I was watchingBraveheartand I was like, ‘Why isn’t there a woman’s movie like this?'”
5.Reese Witherspoon:Where the Crawdads Sing(2022)
Where the Crawdads Singis based on Delia Owens’s 2018 novel of the same name. Reese’s involvement with the book turned movie came after sheselected the novelthat year as a book for her book club. Then Reese’s production company, Hello Sunshine, produced the adaptation.
6.Denzel Washington:Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom(2020)
“I put my two cents in where I could, but in all seriousness, I really tried to stay out of the way,” Denzel toldthe Guardianin 2020 about producing the film based on August Wilson’s play of the same name.
7.Bradley Cooper:Joker(2019)
“We kept this one pretty close to us,” Jeff Groth, the film editor onJoker, toldIndieWirein 2020. “We screened it more personally for people and filmmakers. Bradley Cooper definitely came in a couple of times. He was a producer on the movie, but he definitely watched the movie many times and sat with us. We could call him if we got stuck with something and be like, ‘Hey, can you come over and take a look at things?'”
8.Eva Longoria:John Wick(2014)
In 2019, Eva toldGQof producing the film, “I saved the movie…I really did. It was fun. Keanu was amazing, and it was an amazing movie.”
9.Pharrell Williams:Hidden Figures(2016)
“Oftentimes, I would have an opinion about things, beyond just the music — they would listen,” Pharrell told theNew York Timesin 2017 of producingHidden Figures. “I’m appreciative for that wiggle room and to be part of the conversation.”
10.Jada Pinkett Smith:The Secret Life of Bees(2008)
“It was amazing. Because my bonus son’s mother called me and said, ‘Jada, you have to read this book,’ and I fell in love with it. I was tracking the rights to this book for a very, very long time and they became available, so Overbrook [Entertainment] grabbed it and I said, ‘You got to get these rights!'” Jada toldThe Early Showin 2008.
11.Tom Hanks (and Rita Wilson):Mamma Mia(2008)
Tom and Rita producedMamma Miaand the sequel films through Tom’s production company, Playtone,which he cofounded with Gary Goetzman.According toVulture, Tom said onThe Graham Norton Showin 2018, “I was a producer ofMamma Miaand I tried out for a role. I wanted to hire myself, but my singing voice would have scared the children.”
12.Rita Wilson (and Tom Hanks):My Big Fat Greek Wedding(2002)
Rita and Tom’s production work through Playtone also includes theMy Big Fat Greek Weddingfilms. Nia Vardalos, who starred in and wrote all three films in the series, was running a one-woman play in the late ’90s. Rita, a fellow Greek actor, attended and subsequently convinced Tom and Playtone toturn the play into the first film, which remains thehighest-grossing rom-com to date.
13.Finally, Whitney Houston:The Princess Diaries(2001)
According toPeoplemagazine, the late singer produced both thePrincess DiariesandCheetah Girlsfilms, as well as Brandy’sCinderellaand the 2012Sparkleremake. Whitney starred in the latter two films.
